LIZ’S MOTHER HAS SECOND THOUGHTS

September 3, 1948

“Liz’s Mother Has Second Thoughts” (aka “Mother’s Surprise”) is episode #7 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on September 3, 1948.

Synopsis ~

Liz’s mother Adele Elliott is all set to marry Houston oil man Dan Carson, but suddenly gets cold feet.

This episode was written by the series’ original writers, before the characters changed their name from Cugat to Cooper. It was also before Jell-O came aboard to sponsor the show and before the regular cast featured Bea Benadaret and Gale Gordon as the Atterburys. 

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Coope. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cugat) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. “My Favorite Husband” eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cugat) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

John Hiestand also played the role of Cory Cartwright on the series. He served as the announcer for the radio show “Let George Do It” from 1946 to 1950. In 1955 he did an episode of “Our Miss Brooks” opposite Gale Gordon. 

William Johnstone is best known for his voice work as the title character on “The Shadow” from 1938 to 1943, replacing Lucille Ball’s friend Orson Welles. He played John Jacob Astor in the 1953 film Titanic.

Sarah Selby (Louise Elliott, Liz’s Mother) started as a radio actress and made her screen debut voicing Prissy the Elephant in Walt Disney’s Dumbo (1941). When “My Favorite Husband” transferred to television (without Ball, who was then two years into “I Love Lucy”), Selby appeared in an episode as a maid (above right). She also appeared on “I Love Lucy” as Dorothy Cook in “The Matchmaker” (ILL S4;E4) – the trapped ‘fly’ to Sam Carter’s ‘spider’. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as a storekeeper on TV’s “Gunsmoke” from 1961 to 1972.

In other episodes of the series, Mrs. Elliott’s first name is Adele. 

THE EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Cugat – the record of a happy marriage. Two people who live together – and like it!” 

As the episode opens, Liz and George are packing their suitcases to visit her mother in the country for the weekend. George cannot drive with Liz because he has a board meeting but will join her later. They wonder what announcement Mother has to make and remember her last big announcement – sponsoring a wrestler named the Hawk. George promises to forcibly remove any new wrestlers!  Liz laughs at the idea. 

GEORGE: “Obviously you’ve never heard of Gorgeous George.”
LIZ: (romantically) “You ARE gorgeous, George.”

George is referring to George Raymond Wagner (1915–63), known as Gorgeous George because of his blonde hair. He was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25) and “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (ILL S4;E6).

Looking to pack her swimsuit, George chides Liz for it being too much too skimpy.

LIZ: “You’re too prudish.”
GEORGE: “You’re too nudish.”

On “I Love Lucy” Ricky also was unhappy about the size of Lucy’s swimsuit. In “Off To Florida” (ILL S6;E6) Ricky at first thinks Lucy’s new swimsuit is for Little Ricky! Lucy also buys a swimsuit that Ricky feels is too revealing when shopping for their California trip in “Getting Ready”(ILL S4;E11).  The subject will be broached again on “My Favorite Husband” in “Liz Learns To Swim” in June 1950.

Greeting her mother Liz quickly tries to guess her big news.

LIZ: “Chickasaw Indian tap dancing?”  
MOTHER: “Chickasaw Indian tap dancing? Hmmm… I wonder whether they teach that at Arthur Murray?”
LIZ: “We’re not talking about Arthur Murray.”

Although Liz is being facetious about the tap dancing, there really is a Chickasaw tribe of indigenous Americans. The are mainly found in the Southwestern United States.

LUCY: “Arthur Morton is no Arthur Murray.”

Arthur Murray is also quite real. He taught dance and franchised his dancing schools starting in 1925. He was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Young Fans” (ILL S1;E20. above). The song “Cuban Pete,” which Ricky sang in “The Diet” (ILL S1;E4) , includes the line “And Cuban Pete don’t teach you in a hurry, like Arthur Murray.”  Murray will be mentioned again on “My Favorite Husband” in “Dancing Lessons” (June 1950). 

Mother finally breaks the news: she is getting married.  Liz’s knees buckle!  His name is Daniel Carson from Houston, Texas, an oil tycoon. 

Although it is not stated whether Liz’s father is dead or just divorced from Louise, absent fathers will be a continuing theme in Lucille Ball’s career, just as it was in her real life due to her father’s sudden death when she was just four. Like Liz, Lucy Ricardo will have an independent (and somewhat quirky) mother, but no father. Lucys Carmichael, Carter, and Barker all have children, but deceased husbands and fathers.

 Asking more about her mother’s intended, Mother compares him (loosely) to a movie star. 

MOTHER: “He’s just like Gary Cooper.  Well… they’re both men.” 

Gary Cooper (1901-61) was mentioned three times on “I Love Lucy”. Lucy Ricardo disguised herself as the monosyllabic actor for the benefit of Carolyn Appleby in “Lucy and Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28). 

Mother met Carson when they both were buying tickets to a Randolph Scott picture. 

Since then, they’ve corresponded. 

“My Dear Louise. Howdy. Love Dan. PS: Will you marry me?”

Although no specific film title is mentioned, Mother and Mr. Carson were probably attending Albuquerque, which opened in February 1948, around when Liz says her mother traveled there. The film starred future “I Love Lucy” player Irving Bacon (Ethel’s father Will Potter). Coincidentally, Lucille Ball did two films with Randolph Scott: Follow the Fleet (1936) and Roberta (1935). 

George arrives at Mother’s. Liz refuses to tell him Mother’s secret, so George gets even by saying that he has a secret, too. He teases her that it has something to do with Myra Ponsenby and a hayride. 

Myra Ponsenby is George’s old flame. The character originated in the original George and Liz Cugat stories by Isabel Scott Rorick. Myra was played by Patricia Morrison (above right) in the 1942 film Are Husbands Necessary? and the character is mentioned and featured on several radio episodes before the name change to Cooper. 

Dan arrives for dinner. Mother introduces Liz and George. Dan admires George’s strong handshake. After dinner (or “grub” or “chuck” as he refers to meals), Dan reveals that he bought his oil-filled property for $650,000 from the local Indians and reveals that he has an 18 year-old horse named Shotgun. 

LIZ: “Do you feed him or load him?”

The doorbell rings and Dan’s friend Slim enters. Slim is going to be the best man at the wedding. Slim gives Mother a gift – he is going to provide all the music for the wedding. He introduces the ‘Sons of the Singing Sagebrush’ who sing “You Are My Sunshine” and “I’m a-Headin’ for the Last Round-Up”.  They finish up with a western version of “Oh, Promise Me.”  

DAN: “Lu is loco for the Sons, ain’t ya, Lu?”

”You Are My Sunshine“ was popularized by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell in 1939. Davis was a country music singer and Louisiana governor from 1944–1948 and 1960–1964. “Oh, Promise Me” is an 1887 art song by Reginald de Koven and Clement Scott. Viv Bagley (Vivian Vance) sang it when Lucy Carmichael’s sister got married in “Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (TLS S1;E15) and it was also sung in a 1972 episode of “Here’s Lucy.” 

Liz’s mother decides that she needs to get out of the wedding just when Carson gets a telegram that his horse Shotgun is ill. Dan leaves Mother a box of dirt and departs. 

LIZ: “It’ll make a nice Christmas present for people who don’t have dirt.” 

Before George can break the news to Mother that Dan has gone, Liz reveals that it was her who sent the telegram! 

In a bedtime coda, the Cugats declare their love for one another. Liz ends her protestations of love with “Would you get up and get me a glass of water?”  He does. 

In real-life however, the story was quite different. Desi Arnaz told columnist Earl Carroll that on their wedding night in 1940, Desi asked Lucy to get out of bed and get him a glass of water, which she did without a word. Next morning, however, Lucy spoke up: “Listen, you – the next time you want a glass of water you get it yourself!’”

LIZ: “Goodnight, Cuddle Puddle.”
GEORGE: “Goodnight, Little Drip.”

TRIVIA

Two days after this episode was broadcast (September 5, 1948) The Amarillo News reported:

Lucille Ball, who once worked! as a chorus girl at Columbia for $50 a week, goes back to the studio at a six-figure salary for Miss Grant Took Richmond. Just before Columbia fired her, she was the foil for the Three Stooges. Lucille says today: "Columbia fired me because there wasn’t anything left for the Three Stooges to hit me with.”

Her new airshow, “My Favorite Husband,” based on the Mr. and Mrs. George Cugat characters, is one of Hollywood’s best fall prospects. Richard Denning plays the husband. When someone asked Lucille’s husband, Desi Arnaz why he wasn’t doing the show with her, he cracked: “I guess I’m not the type.”

Not only does this item promote Lucille Ball’s upcoming film (filming began in March 1949), but it hints that Lucy and Desi were not happy about CBS not allowing Desi to play her husband on radio. After the original George Cugat, Lee Bowman, was unavailable, Lucy pitched Desi for the role, but CBS insisted on the more ‘believable’ Richard Denning.